Summary

  • In 2001, the estimated birth prevalence of neural tube defects was 0.5 per 1,000 births and for Down syndrome it was 1.2 per 1,000 births.
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was the leading cause of infant deaths for the first four years of the period 1997–2001, but was no longer so by the fifth year. Deaths from SIDS have decreased from 11.4% of infant deaths in 1997 to 7.5% in 2001.
  • The proportion of low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams) liveborn babies has remained relatively stable over the period from 1997 to 2001, but there has been an increase in the proportion of liveborn babies weighing 4,500 grams or more.
  • The proportion of preterm (less than 37 weeks gestation) babies ranged from 7.3% to 7.9% over the period 1997–2001, and the proportion of term (37–41 weeks gestation) babies has remained stable. There was a decrease in the proportion of post-term (42–45 weeks gestation) babies over this period, from 2.1% to 1.7%.